# 1986 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 1986 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 8 May 1986, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. There were 16 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council.
The Conservatives lost five seats and only narrowly retained their majority on the council. The SDP–Liberal Alliance took the most votes across the district, gaining four extra seats.

## Overall results

The overall results were as follows:
1986 North Hertfordshire District Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Alliance | 4 | 4 | 25.0 | 3 | 7 | 14.0 | 12,343 | 33.7 | +9.6 |
| | Conservative | 6 | 5 | 37.5 | 20 | 26 | 52.0 | 11,852 | 32.3 | -6.7 |
| | Labour | 5 | 2 | 31.3 | 9 | 14 | 28.0 | 10,680 | 29.1 | -3.2 |
| | Ratepayers | 1 | | 6.3 | 2 | 3 | 6.0 | 1,273 | 3.5 | +0.4 |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 339 | 0.9 | -0.6 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 152 | 0.4 | +0.4 |

## Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.
Baldock ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Clarke* | 1,146 | 36.5 | −18.9 |
| | Labour | Roger McFall | 1,069 | 34.0 | +6.8 |
| | Alliance | Bob Young | 929 | 29.5 | +12.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 53.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,839 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -12.9 | |
Codicote ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Denis Winch* | 563 | 43.5 | −32.6 |
| | Alliance | Christine Stevenson | 418 | 32.3 | +32.3 |
| | Labour | Karry Omer | 313 | 24.2 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 55.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,324 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -32.5 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jenny Marr | 1,132 | 50.6 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | Norman Frost* | 720 | 32.2 | −7.5 |
| | Alliance | Penny Cunningham | 385 | 17.2 | +3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,450 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.6 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Mary Burton | 1,204 | 46.2 | +14.1 |
| | Conservative | Bill Kingston-Splatt* | 1,025 | 39.4 | −12.5 |
| | Labour | David Tizzard | 375 | 14.4 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,105 | | |
| | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.3 | |
Hitchin Oughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harry Smith | 1,020 | 52.7 | −7.6 |
| | Alliance | Jenny Sefton | 578 | 29.9 | +15.6 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Leeson | 336 | 17.4 | −7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,377 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -11.6 | |
Hitchin Priory ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bob Flatman* | 718 | 57.1 | −10.6 |
| | Alliance | John Seabrook | 349 | 27.7 | +6.1 |
| | Labour | Jane Newbury | 191 | 15.2 | +4.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,769 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.4 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ratepayers | Jack Swain | 1,273 | 45.5 | +9.3 |
| | Labour | Veronica Sharp | 1,008 | 36.0 | +5.0 |
| | Alliance | Alison Kelt | 429 | 15.3 | +2.2 |
| | Green | Ann Roberts | 87 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,941 | | |
| | Residents hold | Residents hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
Kimpton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Adam Wilkins | 363 | 41.8 | +41.8 |
| | Independent | David Wright | 339 | 39.0 | −42.3 |
| | Labour | Stephen MacDonald | 167 | 19.2 | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 52.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,645 | | |
| | Alliance gain from Independent | Alliance gain from Independent | Swing | +42.1 | |
Knebworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gordon Dumelow* | 940 | 57.6 | +5.5 |
| | Alliance | Michael Stiff | 422 | 25.9 | −3.2 |
| | Labour | Carole Carter | 270 | 16.5 | −2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,302 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.4 | |
Letchworth East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ram Summan | 916 | 39.5 | −3.8 |
| | Alliance | Tony Elliott | 894 | 38.5 | +3.4 |
| | Conservative | John Bush | 511 | 22.0 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,841 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -3.6 | |
Letchworth Grange ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Don Kitchiner* | 1,233 | 42.2 | +1.1 |
| | Alliance | Peter Welch | 1,107 | 37.9 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | Jim Hannah | 519 | 17.7 | −6.9 |
| | Green | Ian Barrett | 65 | 2.2 | +2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 56.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,179 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.3 | |
Letchworth South East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Geoff Williams | 1,754 | 49.8 | +16.2 |
| | Conservative | Norman Prior* | 931 | 26.4 | −7.8 |
| | Labour | Nigel Agar | 840 | 23.8 | −8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 59.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,954 | | |
| | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.0 | |
Letchworth South West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Burrows* | 1,402 | 49.7 | −4.5 |
| | Alliance | Martin Fisher | 1,152 | 40.9 | +20.1 |
| | Labour | Michael Jovic | 265 | 9.4 | −15.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 62.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,491 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -12.3 | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mantle | 1,048 | 43.3 | +1.2 |
| | Conservative | Keith Emsall* | 842 | 34.8 | −9.6 |
| | Alliance | Hermione Edwards | 532 | 22.0 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 60.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,016 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.4 | |
Royston East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Pat Rule* | 1,114 | 52.2 | −20.2 |
| | Alliance | Jenny McCann | 733 | 34.3 | +34.3 |
| | Labour | Jeffrey Gill | 288 | 13.5 | −14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 53.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,996 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -27.3 | |
Royston West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Frances Bate | 1,094 | 40.2 | −6.2 |
| | Conservative | Terry Botfield | 1,085 | 39.8 | +2.1 |
| | Labour | Eunice King | 545 | 20.0 | +4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,319 | | |
| | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | -4.2 | |